RaveThe Times Literary Supplement (UK)Beautifully translated by Marilyn Booth in the poignant, lyrical style of the original Arabic, Bitter Orange Tree is a deeply emotional, largely autobiographical novel permeated with regret, even guilt ... lays bare the realities of rural life in Oman’s highly traditional society ... Alharthi is highly attuned to the hardships of old age and is particularly adept at describing the stifling traditions of the Omani patriarchy ... Beyond the inherent interest of its context, Bitter Orange Tree will also strike a chord with those who have either voluntarily or involuntarily left their homeland and are torn between the longing for a new life and a yearning for the security of the old ways.
Khaled Khalifa Trans. by Leri Price
MixedThe Times Literary Supplement (UK)Khalifa’s latest novel to be translated into English (fluidly, by Leri Price) certainly requires some stomach ... The mission – undertaken by Bolbol, his brother Hussein and sister Fatima – descends into frequent farce ... Death, in Khaled Khalifa’s telling, really is hard work.
